Rail-joint.



No. 7mm. Patehted May 27, I902. E. o. DAVIS. RAIL JOINT.

(Application filed Jan. 15, 1902.) (No Modal.)

1 H n 5 7 6 Q wihwaaeo UNrTiep STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ElVING O. DAVIS, OF NEW GENEVA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION f. ing part Of Letters Patent NO. 701,160, dated May 27, 1902.

Application filed January 15, 1902. Serial No. 89,902. (No model.)

To all whom. it IN/(Ly concern:

Be it known that l, EWING O. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Geneva, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and usefullinprovements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail-joints, and has for its object to provide an improved joint in which the parts thereof are reduced to a minimum and at the same time the strength and durability necessary in such structures are preserved and increased.

The improved joint is designed to dispense with fish-plates and transverse connectingbolts used in ordinary rail-joint structures and also to compensate for the contraction and expansion of the rail-sections and to a large extent obviate the jarring and pounding of car-wheels in passing over the joint.

WVith these and other objects and advantages in View the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of rail-sections embodying the improved joint,which is partially shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numerals 1 and 2 designate rail-sections, which are conterininously arranged in the usual manner. The section 1, adjacent its end, has the web 2 transversely thickened, as at 3, and projected longitudinally beyond the end of said section to form a looking extension 4, having longitudinal grooves 5 and 6, respectively, in the upper and lower edges thereof. By the formation of the said grooves 5 and 6 in the extension 4 a central longitudinally-extending core 7 is provided, which terminates at a distance from the free end of the extension, as clearly indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. At a suitable point in the length of the core 7 a vertical slot 8 is formed and extends completely from the upper to the lower edge of said core.

The web 9 of the rail-section 2 at the end of the latter is formed with a longitudinal slot 10, which is slightly longer than the core 7 and of a vertical extent approximately equal to that of the core. The slot 10 is formed at a point intermediate or between the flange and head of the rail-section 2, and by this means portions of the web 9 are left respectively depending and projecting upwardly from the head and base-flange of the section 2 and enter the grooves 5 and G, as clearly shown by Fig. 3. The rail-section 2 also has a bolt-opening 11, extending vertically through the center thereof to receive a screw-bolt 12, having an upper slotted head 13 and a lower screw-threaded terminal let.

In assembling the parts of the joint the slotted portion of the web 9 of the section 2 is slipped longitudinally into the extension 4. of the thickened web 3 of the section 1 until the slot 8 in' the core 7 alines with'the boltopening 11 in the section 2. The bolt is then inserted vertically through the bolt-opening 11 and slot 8 and secured through the medium of the lower screw-threaded terminal 14 thereof in the base-flange and a portion of the Web of the section 2, as clearly shown by Fig. 3. By-this means the rail-sections are securely fastened and held by a single fastening-bolt applied in the manner set forth. The use of the bolt 11 prevents the rail-sections from being separated too great length longitudinally of the rail construction, and it is not necessary to use means for preventing lateral spread of the rails in view of the formation of the extension 4. The slot Sis greater in length than the diameter of the bolt 11, and the extension 4 is thus adapted to move longitudinally on the portion of the Web 9 of the section 2 engaged thereby to compensate for expansion and contraction of therail-section.

It will be observed that the expense of the use of fish-plates and connecting-bolts therefor found in ordinary railroad construction is entirely dispensed with, and, moreover, the danger and accidents resulting from such bolts becoming disengaged are avoided.

Moreover, one rail-terminal will be prevented from sinking in relation to the other in view of the extension at, which extends completely from the under portion of the head to the base -fiange of the rail section engaged thereby.

The improved rail-joint is not only useful in general railroad structures, but also on trestles or bridges, and materially reduces the vibration and pound which is frequently due to loosening of the joints or depressions of rail-terminals.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A railroad-joint comprising rail-sections one of which has the terminal portion of the web increased in thickness and projected to form an extension with upper and lower grooves therein, the contiguous rail-section terminal having the Web longitudinally slottedat an intermediate point and adapted to be embraced by the extension of the web of the other rail-section, and a single fasteningbolt passed vertically through one rail-section and a portion of the extended web of the other section.

2. A rail-joint comprising rail-sections, one section having the Web extended and embracing the web of the other section, and a single boltpassing vertically through one section and a portion of the extended web of the other section.

3. A rail-joint comprising rail-sections conterminously arranged, one section having the web extended and embracing a portion of the web of the opposite section, the extended Web being vertically slotted, and a single fastening-bolt passing through one section and the slot in the extended Web of the other section, the said slot being greater in diameter than the bolt.

4. A rail-joint comprising conterminouslyarranged rail-sections, a portion of one railsection embracing a part of the other and havinga vertical slot therethrough and upper and lower grooves, and the embraced portion of the other section longitudinally slotted at an intermediate point, and a single fastening bolt passing vertically through the section having the longitudinal slot and the extended portion of the other section.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EXVING O. DAVIS.

lVitnesses:

H. R. EBERHART, THOMAS CAsELER. 

